Method of forming embossed and decorated panels



June 30, 1953 K. F. SMITH 2,643,417

METHOD OF FORMING EMBOSSED AND DECORATED PANELS Filed July 2, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. KENNETH FSM/TH June so, 1953 K. F. SMITH 2,643,417

METHOD OF FORMING EMBOSSED AND DECORATED PANELS 29 88 s ea IN V EN TOR. KEN/v5 TH E SM/ TH Patented June 30, 1953 tiltl'l'ED STATES P'iiEiN'i FFECE METHOD OF FORMING EMBOSSED AND DECORATED PANELS Kenneth F. Smith,- Lima, Ohio, assignor to Neon Products, Inc, Lima, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of forming embossed and decorated display panels.

An object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive method of forming embossed panels.

A further object of this invention is to provide a method of forming decorated embossed panels having painted indicia wherein the indicia is painted on the panel when the panel is flat and prior to embossing of the panel.

A further object of this invention is to provide a method of forming sharply defined clearly outlined embossed indicia for display panels.

Briefly, this invention provides a method of forming decorated embossed panels of transparent resinous material such as a methyl meth acrylate resin or the like in which indicia is painted on one side of a sheet and thereafter the sheet is heated to yielding temperature and formed upon a die having recessed indicia therein. One side of the sheet is disposed upon the die and a resilient force is applied to the other side of the sheet to force the material of the sheet into the depressions or other configurations of the indicia to form. indicia in relief upon the panel. The means for supplying a resilient force may be a die having a surface of sponge rubber or the like which can follow the resin as it flows into the recesse and configurations of the indicia. Where pressure is applied to the painted side of the panel to force the material into the pattern of the indicia, it may be desirble o provide a sheet of wax paper or the like rubber surface of the die and the of the sheet. in order to prevent adherence the rubber to the paint and to the material the panel, or other methods may be employed for applying a resilient force to the panel, for example, compressed air may be used to force the material of the sheet into the configurations of the die.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the following detailed descripticn and the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing cooperating dies for forming an embossed panel in accordance with this invention;

2 is a plan view showing one of the dies illustrated in Fig. l, the die having recessed i11- dicia and being shown during the process of forming the die; 1

Fig. 3 is a view in section taken along a line III III in Fig. 2;

Fig. i is a view in section taken along a line IVIV in Fig. 1; and

. OLlS manners.

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation partly broken away and in section showing a die containing recessed indicia and a hood for applying air pressure against a sheet upon the die.

In the following detailed description and the drawings, like reference characters indicate like parts.

In l a lower die element it! is shown in which recessed pattern, design or indicia L! are formed. An upper die element it having a rigid backing member Hi (Fig. 4) containing a recess in the lower face thereof and a sheet It of sponge rubber or other rubber-like material held in the recess cooperate with the die element ii). As shown in Fig. i, the marginal flanges I! prevent escape of the sheet at sides of the recess. A ram is attached to the backing member 14- serves for forcing the upper die element against the lower die element.

The lower die element may be formed in vari- Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate a convenient method for forming the lower die element iii. During forming of the lower die element, a masking layer it of sponge rubber or the like is attached to the upper surface of the die element. Letters 2E representing the pattern, design, indicia or the like to be embossed are cut in the material of the masking layer [9. The masking layer It is attached to the die element by cement or the like and a sand blast is directed against the masking layer and the upper surface of the die element ii] to engrave the indicia therein. The lower die element may be formed of tough board-like material such as the composition board commonly known as Masonite or the lik which can be engraved by means of a sand blast. When the indicia has been formed in the die element it, the masking layer It is removed and the lower die element is ready for use.

A sheet of plastic material 22, for example a sheet of transparent methyl, methacrylate resin, i heated to a temperature at which it is flaccid and yielding and is placed between the die elements, as indicated in Fig. l, and the die elements are brought together to cause the material of the sheet to flow into the engraved indicia of the lower die element forming embossed indicia on the sheet. The sponge rubber of'the die l3 permits a flow both of its substance and of the heated sheet.

One side of the sheet 22 is provided with painted indicia prior to forming in the dies. An appropriate paint, such as a paint having a methyl methacrylate resin vehicle, solvent, and appropriate oxide pigments carried therein may be applied over a part or all of the upper surface of the sheet 22 prior to heating and forming in the dies. This type of paint becomes, in effect, an integral part of the sheet and can be heated to temperatures in the neighborhood of 350 degrees F. at which the sheet is pliable and can be shaped without injury to or darkening of the painted surface. If the paint is on the upper side of the panel, 1. e., the side against which the rubber of the upper die element bears, an appropriate layer 23 of non-adherent material, for example a sheet wax paper, may be inserted over the painted side of the panel, before the dies are brought together to emboss the lettering or other indicia upon the sheet. Either before forming or after forming, a coat of paint may be applied over the entire upper surface of the panel to give an appropriate decorative effect.

In Fig. is shown another form of apparatus for forming embossed decorated panels in accordance with this invention. The device illustrated in Fig. 5 includes a lower die element having a fiat-surfaced backing portion 24 and a separate indicia portion 26 attached to the flat upper surface of the backing block 24 by glucing or the like. A plurality of pins 21 may be provided for maintaining the backing block 24 and the indicia portion 26 in alignment. Indicia in the sheet 28 may be formed by cutting letters in a relatively thin sheet of tough board or the like with a jig saw.

A pressure hood 28 is adapted to cover the indicia bearing portion of the lower die, and a piston operated ram 29 may be provided to press the edges of the hood 28 against the marginal edges of a sheet of plastic material 3| to provide a pressure-tight joint between the sheet and the upper and lower members of the die.

Inlet ports 32 may be provided in the hood 28 to which air hoses 3 may be attached so that air pressure or other fluid pressure may be applied to the interior of the hood 28 to force the material of the sheet into the configurations of the die element 28.

In the forming of embossed signs, it is desirable to have the outline of the lettering sharply defined, and the dies shown make possible the provision of signs in which the outline of the indicia is sharp and clear so that the indicia and paint behind the indicia can be carefully aligned. Ihe panels may be painted and decorated prior to forming, i. e., the panels may be painted while fiat so that painting and decorating is relatively simple. After having been painted the embossed lettering or other indicia may be formed on the panels. When indicia are painted on a panel while the panel is flat in accordance with the method of this invention the indicia can readily be aligned with die portions so that the embossed and painted portions may be properly in register.

The finished designs may have embossed lettering having a smooth clear glossy resinous outer surface and paint behind the surface which paint clearly defines the lettering.

The dies of this invention are particularly adapted for shaping panels, particularly panels of transparent material to which painted indicia is applied prior to forming, but, as will be apparent, the dies may be used in forming embossed panels regardless of Whether decorative material is placed thereon prior to embossing.

The die Ill shown in Fig. 1 and the die 24 shown in Fig. 5 are interchangeable and either of the dies l0 and 24 may be used either with the rubber faced die of Fig. 1 or with the pressure hood of Fig. 5.

The dies of this invention described above and illustrated in the drawings are subject to variation without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A method of forming an embossed decorated panel which comprises applying paint indicia on one side of a fiat sheet of transparent tl1ermoplastic resinous material, placing said sheet with the unpainted surface in contact with a die containing recessed indicia that register with the paint indicia on the sheet, heating the entire sheet to a softening temperature, and applying a resilient force to the painted side of said sheet to force the material thereof into the recessed indicia of the die to form an embossed decorated panel.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 characterized by the fact that the applied resilient force is a fluid under pressure.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 characterized by the fact that the applied resilient force is compressed air.

KENNETH F. SMITH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 597,929 Burns Jan. 25, 1898 747,738 Ludwig Dec. 22, 1903 1,146,413 Edison July 13, 1915 1,663,587 Dunbar Mar. 27, 1928 2,026,105 Stresino Dec. 31, 1935 2,190,659 Guerin Feb. 20, 1940 2,357,806 Borkland Sept. 12, 1944 2,379,793 Eenigenburg July 3, 1945 2,463,370 Flaster Mar. 1, 1949 

